Cub Tracks Pushes Your Buttons

I've got to say... I was a little concerned today's edition would be a whole lot of "meh". But that changed quick. We've got Brett Jackson, Kerry Wood, Ryan Dempster, Theo (of course), Slammin' Sammy, Zygotes, Starlin Castro's plate discipline, the scrap heap, the 40-man roster, PEDs, and cars from the future.

Over / Under??? 1,500 comments. Take it away, BCBers.

From Comcast SportsNet

• Cub Tracks has quickly deduced a way to get you all talking. Just say: Brett Jackson. Today's edition of YES HE WILL - NO HE WON'T!!!! features the topic at large: can Jackson overcome his strikeout... ahem... issues.
• Easy Ed alert! Kerry Wood stopped by CTL late last week. So we can chat about Kerry Wood, Sammy Sosa, and the HoF guessing game and/or 10 things you didn't know about Kerry.
• Theo Epstein talked about playing... matchmaker for Ryan Dempster and the Boston Red Sox.
• And a programming note. GM Jed Hoyer will be in-studio for CSN's Chicago Baseball Hot Stove Tuesday night at 5 p.m. Cub Tracks will follow-up on Thursday.

From Cubs Den

• Waves and waves. Pitching, pitching, pitching. Zygotes. Rebuild. Theo!!! But who is at the epicenter of the rebuild? One of the newest members of the Cub organization - Derek Johnson.

From the Chicago Tribune

• Many of you have questions for the Cubs' brass. Expect many of those questions to be asked - and some to be answered - when management is on the spot at the upcoming Cub Convention.

From the Chicago Sun-Times

• Sammy Sosa says he and other "snubbed" Hall of Fame candidates are still winners.

From Cubs.com

• Starlin Castro has started his career at the plate like few others. Next step? Working on fundamentals at the plate.
  
• The Inbox looks at a variety of topics, including whether reclamation project Dontrelle Willis could really crack the opening day roster. Other topics: trades, rosters, and why Carlos Villanueva still isn't on the 40-man roster.
• The Cubs Convention will offer fans unique opportunities, including the chance to interact with the team's new tv broadcast color commentator.
• Zygote alert!!! Cubs' pitching prospect Dillon Maples was a coup as an expensive 14th-round draft choice in 2011. But we've heard little from him since. That's because his rehab from a strained elbow ligament didn't go as planned... since Dillon went rogue. Now he says he's been following the rehab program religiously -- and is ready to break out this season. My take: strained elbow ligaments scare the hell out of me (in the baseball sense). I can't help but wonder if it is only a matter of 'when' not 'if' he needs TJS. I will now attempt to throttle back my (over?) reaction.

From the Daily Herald

• Almost every former player is asked to comment on PEDs and the HoF. Former Cub MVP Andre Dawson says users shouldn't be elected.

Today's food for thought

• We've been waiting far too long... but self-driving cars are coming.